Loves Lost
by blacketarani
Summary: Complete! In the 1970s, Voldemort's power is growing and the Slytherins have accepted that they will be in his service in a year or two. But some are more willing to accept that than others, and some make mistakes for those they love.
1. Prologue

Prologue

A chilling shriek rose from the depths of the small lake, startling the girl from her pleasant daydreams. She sat up quickly, not sure whether this was something she wanted to know more about or to run from.

The girl didn't have enough time to run or think before a shape rose from the center of the lake and glided towards her. Long black hair hanging in from of a face didn't quite manage to hide grey tinted skin and lips. A dripping old dress hung loosely on a thin frame and long claws adorned the fingers. A banshee. The girl shivered.

The banshee wailed again, this time louder. She couldn't move as the creature reached out to kill her.

At least that's what she thought would happen. The sickly skin, wrinkled by too much time underwater, touched her cheek and sent shivers up her spine. The hand was cold, the claws barely cutting her skin. The banshee's mouth opened once more the girl cringed… but no wail came out. Instead the creature brought its mouth to the girl's ear and whispered.

Banshees were not known to speak, so at first she thought it was a dream. But the cool breath and the frozen touch compared to the warm trickle of blood down her cheek were far too real.

"Your time has come." It hissed.

The girl blinked silver eyes suddenly unsure of her own mental stability. Waist length sheer black hair was covered with frost. She shivered, teeth chattering.

"Your time has come." It repeated. "The time to rise again." Despite the oddity of the statement, it rang with honesty. The mystical presentation of such and idea reverberated with age-old belief, strong enough to almost convince her, the most cynical, disbelieving girl in existence. "Awaken." It hissed.

Her eyes flew open, glowing blood red. Her senses heightened and she became extremely conscious of the blood trickling down her cheek. Steam rose from wet hair as frost melted as quickly as it had formed. Her mouth became paper-dry.

The banshee backed gracefully away remaining silent until it reached the water's edge. There it let out a bloodcurdling shriek. The sound echoed off of the surface, multiplying again and again until it had become deafening. Just as suddenly as it had appeared, the banshee was gone.

She looked at the lake for another minute before sighing, standing up, and heading back to the castle. She didn't think that anyone had seen. She had to keep it a secret.

The pale man standing at the window smirked, pleased for some reason, and turned away.


	2. Chapter 1

Yet again, Lucius, Hogwarts and others that you recognize are JK Rowling's. I'm just using them to fulfill my own little mental fantasies.

Chapter One

Tempest Lestrange sat bold upright in bed, shedding green and silver silk sheets everywhere. She wiped her forehead and quietly went into the bathroom. It wasn't quite dawn, but she knew she couldn't go back to sleep.

The icy water settled the sixth year's nerves slightly. She sighed and let the water fill her every sense.

It wasn't often that she let her awareness have a full vacation. It wasn't something that was advised for anyone raised in this time. You always had to be alert for the Dark Lord.

Forty-five minutes later, Tempest walked into the Slytherin common room dressed in her school robes. She picked up the little bit of homework that she hadn't finished the night before. Professor Solendri was more tolerant of late work within his house, but he didn't like it whatever anyone else said.

She didn't look up at the sock padded footsteps coming from the boys' stair. There were only two boys who would be awake this early.

A pale, long fingered hand squeezed her shoulder lightly and she looked up into the silver, impassive eyes of Lucius Malfoy.

Her black eyebrow rose ever so slightly.

His lips curled into a sneer and he raised a blonde brow.

That was code for: I need to talk to you.

When, where?

At the lake, during breakfast.

She nodded slightly and he let go and went to his seat on the other side of the fire, bringing out his unfinished work as other people sifted slowly out of the dorms to finish their own work or talk.

Keeping one eye on the other kids and one on her work, she watched Regulus, Severus, Narcissa and Bellatrix arrange themselves casually around Lucius. Andromeda Black and Tempest's twin brother Rudolphus sat in chairs around her. All of them were as close as you could get in Slytherin, but all had their preferences in the mornings. Being the golden children of Slytherin had advantages and disadvantages, but then so did everything else.

One thing it meant, the groups revolved around you.

After another twenty minutes, the rest of the Slytherins came down. Tempest's group gained four members: Caine and Celeste Beaufort, Alexander Montesquieu and Breeanna Locke.

Lucius was joined by Shan Goyle and Merelynn Brown. The two were inseparable and notorious for being… open… with their feelings.

This was Slytherin in the seventies, allied or opposing, shunned by other houses because of Tom Riddle.

Slytherin was a place for the cunning, the witty and the tormented. Slytherin was the Dark Lord's greatest resource.

"Lestrange…" Caine began. Rudolphus and Tempest looked up and he cursed. "Tempest." Rudolphus looked back at his work. "Can I talk to you today?"

She pretended to leaf through a planner. "What time?"

"Lunch, by the forest." She nodded and went back to her work with a muttered, "Yeah, I'm free."

The breakfast bell rang throughout the castle and the first years dashed up and down corridors and staircases yelling to friends and siblings as they went. The rest of the school followed more slowly, draining out of the common rooms into the Great Hall.

The ceiling was cloudy, looking very much like it would rain. Tempest cursed quietly, but ate quickly and slipped out as soon as she could.

It began to rain just as she reached the lake. Lucius was already there under the big oak, hood covering his silky white hair. He looked down at her from his taller 5'11''.

"Lovely day." He murmured, idly sarcastic. She nodded. "If it wasn't pouring, I'd ask you to sit, but alas."

Her eyes narrowed. He wasn't usually _this_ humorous. "You're trying to avoid telling me what you wanted to." She accused. He flinched at her bluntness, but didn't argue.

With a sigh, he rested white hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. His silvery eyes met her similar ones and he smiled. Not smirked or sneered, but smiled. And oh god, he was beautiful. That rare glowing smile seemed to light up the sky for a hundred meters around. "Tempest Lestrange…" He began cautiously. He wasn't used to being blunt. "Will you go out with me?"

Her eyes widened, shocked. She had been expecting talk about their families, their inductions into Lord Voldemort's service… Not this. He shifted feet nervously. A Malfoy, nervous? That didn't happen. Then she remembered his smile. It had been radiant, like an angel. She sighed. "No fair." He looked mildly confused. "You know how gorgeous your smile is, Malfoy?" His lip twitched with concealed laughter and she smiled in return. He was trying to make it more fair by not letting his absolutely beautiful laugh influence her too – she had only heard it twice before. "But yes… I suppose I will go out with you, Lucius Malfoy." Lucius' smile returned, more beautiful than just a minute before. Tempest practically melted at his feet, except he didn't let her. His arms wrapped around her waist and one hand slid up her back. She shivered at his cool touch on her bare neck and finally noticed where she was. The shivers became more insistent, more obvious. Lucius studied her carefully through pragmatic eyes.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah… it's just a dream I had here last night." Her eyes followed his hand as he brought it up to her cheek, the same cheek that the banshee had touched in her dream.

"Did you know… you had scratches here?" He asked gently. Her eyes widened. "Five…"

"It really happened?" She whispered, shocked. "I didn't leave the dormitory… but it happened?" She noticed Lucius staring at her and took his hand and led him back to a covered hallway still outside. There, she sat on the bench and he sat next to her and she quietly told him about her dream.

And there, the bond between the two soaked figures just starting to understand what they had felt for one another began to weave itself tighter on the trust that they had just placed in one another.


	3. Chapter 2

Everyone knows the drill, right? Who do the characters you know belong to? Good job. JK Rowling.

Chapter Two

The two Slytherins walked side by side down the corridors to transfiguration with the usual "Slytherin" bearing. They had decided to go to class early because Tempest needed help with transfiguring her partner into a humming bird. Normally her best subject, Professor McGonagall had allowed her to go ahead of the class as long as it was in the same general area.

Minerva McGonagall looked up from where she was grading papers as they walked into the room. "Miss Lestrange, Mr. Malfoy." She acknowledged with a nod.

"You said you'd help me with the smaller transfiguration." Tempest reminded her. McGonagall nodded again.

"Yes, yes. I know. Has Mr. Malfoy volunteered to help?" Lucius nodded. The professor nodded curtly and took out her wand. "Now, Miss Lestrange, you need to use the proper movements and annunciate." She said briskly, clearly stating the incantation. Lucius changed and changed back quickly. He looked a bit ruffled. "Just do that, wandless for the moment."

Tempest obeyed.

"Good, good…" the older woman nodded her approval. "Now do it with your wand."

"Ready?" She asked Lucius. He smirked. Tempest raised her wand and muttered the incantation. Lucius grew small green wings and a long beak. Tempest scowled, just barely managing not to crack up.

McGonagall changed him back. "Not bad, but try again. This time a little more magic through your wand please." Tempest did as asked and Lucius became a giant hummingbird. "A little too much…" McGonagall observed, changing him back again.

Tempest sighed. After another minute, he turned into a small hummingbird.

McGonagall smiled. "Good! Now change him back." Tempest obeyed and Lucius appeared looking extremely disoriented.

"That was so…" he paused. "Humiliating." Tempest grinned, again just barely restraining laughter and the professor smiled primly.

Lucius ran a quick hand through his long hair just as the rest of the class filed in. Severus looked at Lucius and Tempest and smiled thinly. Both of them raised an eyebrow in response.

So?

Yes.

Snape smirked and joined them in their seats. The rest of the Slytherins sat behind them and the class began.

Lunch was a busy time in the Great Hall. All of the students between eleven and seventeen sat at long tables with the rest of their house and acted like the kid magicians that they were.

Hufflepuffs: cheerful, rowdy and trusting.

Ravenclaw: calculating, friendly and intelligent.

Gryffindor: loyal, playful, courageous.

Slytherin: subdued, separated, cunning.

Oh yes, Slytherin was subdued. Especially the sixth years. Each and every one of them acted like they were eating their last supper before they died.

Indeed many of them were nearing the day when they would ensure their own doom.

Tempest ate quickly again, but no one commented even when she slipped out as she had at breakfast. One Slytherin's business was their business and theirs alone.

This time, she remembered an umbrella.

Caine was waiting for her, golden hair wet. Tempest ran over to him and held the umbrella over them both.

"How long have you been waiting?"

"Not long. Don't worry about it."

She smiled. "That's good." She studied his face quietly for a second. "You wanted to talk to me?" The girl asked finally.

He nodded. "Tempest… look. I know we broke up last year, but…" Caine took a deep breath. "Could we try again?" She stared at him. "Please?" He added.

Tempest almost groaned. Caine was one of her best friends and she didn't want to hurt him. But she had also gotten together with Lucius that morning. "I…" she paused. "Let's just be friends." She told him quietly. "Our friendship is too important for me to wreck it again."

"Why?" He asked her.

She sighed. "I told you. That and I'm with Lucius."

"Malfoy?" She resisted the urge to ask if he knew another and just nodded. He looked at her sadly for a minute before brightening. "Congrats." She smiled but could hear the pain in his voice.

"Sorry." She whispered. Giving him a friendly hug and the umbrella, she ran back to the castle.

Lucius met her in the hall. "Tempest, you're soaked!" he commented quietly.

She shrugged and told him that she had gone outside to talk to Caine. He shook his head but made no comment except to squeeze her shoulder reassuringly. She smiled and walked into the potions dungeons.

Professor Antoinan Solendri separated them efficiently into teams of two to make their potions, as always, placing Lucius with Narcissa. Tempest did have to wonder what Narcissa gave the professor to make him always put her with Lucius.

Lucius smiled thinly at her from across the dungeon. Potions – very definitely not her best subject – had seen her paired with the best student: Severus Snape. She returned it cautiously before turning back to their cauldron.

"So… two suitors in one day… not bad." Severus muttered to her. She barely managed not to laugh. Serverus's sense of humor was quirky, but it fit perfectly with his personality. Lucius and Tempest had similar senses of what was amusing.

"Good observation, Sev." She whispered back. Solendri hated his students talking during the "exact art of potion-making". Severus was good enough at it that the two of them weren't too concerned about some distractions. "What now?"

"Newt tail, cut into quarters the long way."

She grimaced. "You want to do that?" He smirked and complied.

"Another year…" Severus murmured in a wooden voice. Tempest could understand what he meant without asking.

All of the higher-class Slytherin families had at least on death eater. Most would have two by next Christmas' end.

The bell signaling the end of the class rang and the students filed out of the room.

The four Marauders had been well behaved for class, but in the halls they couldn't resist poking at the Slytherin students. Their favorite target had always been Severus. Ever since Potter and Black had seen the pale stripling of a boy stroll onto the Express they had been out to get him.

"Hey Snivellus!" James called across the student body. Their favorite nickname always made the Slytherins cringe. Even Sirius, who had been raised much like Bella and Narcissa (his cousins), was fond of using it.

Snape ignored them, but from where Tempest and Lucius were standing they could see a fist clench and a jaw tighten.

Luckily for the entire school Potter's crush with far too many ideals crammed into her mudblood – not an insult for them; the house liked her well enough – brain intervened.

"Leave Snape be, Potter." She commanded. James shrugged and backed off.

"Only for you Evans." The four continued walking, Pettigrew scuttling along behind them.

Tempest sighed and gave Lily an appreciative nod. The other girl smiled back.

"Don't worry about them, Sev. They aren't worth it."

"I don't need the mudblood's help." He hissed between his teeth. So Snape wasn't so fond of her.

Lucius smirked. "But she's giving it freely, take advantage of it while you can." The three relaxed into meal mode as Celeste, Breeanna and Caine joined them. Caine stared at Tempest longingly until Lucius stepped forward to be between them. The rest of the group soon joined them.

Alexander laughed jovially at Severus' grimace. "The Gryffindors again?" The pale, raven-haired boy ignored him, choosing instead to watch Narcissa try to flirt with Lucius while the boy fingered Tempest's hand. Tempest herself was laughing at something Celeste had said. Breeanna smiled and chuckled softly.

The Slytherin sixth years followed the rest of the school into the Great Hall, somewhat softer than the cheers and shouts of the rest. The group remained quiet as they fell into their usual seating arrangement. Rudolphus and Bella hurried to sit on Lucius' left and Tempest sat on his right. Narcissa sat across from him before anyone else could take that seat. Severus sat beside Tempest. He always found it amusing to watch Celeste, Caine, Alex and Breeanna try to prevent Narcissa from disgusting – or amazing – the rest of the long table with her flirting. Goyle and Brown sat further down, making sure to rub legs under the table.

Tempest smiled the tiniest bit and began to eat.

Three friends gathered outside by the lake, one for the third time that day. None of them smiled or spoke for a long time.

Then: "I don't want to be a deatheater, Lucius!"

"No one does." Severus muttered softly from where he was leaning against a tree watching them argue. "Anyone who thinks otherwise is half raving already."

Lucius looked at him gratefully, Tempest glared. "Besides," He continued jokingly. "You just can't live without those adorable little critters." The other two stared at him.

"Did you just call them... adorable little critters?" Tempest squeaked. He only grinned. Then all three of them broke down and laughed until tears ran from their eyes...

At midnight, a pure black cat walked down the hallway by the entrance to the Slytherin dormitories. Its icy silver eyes glowed in the darkness. As it strolled up the stairs to the school's entrance, a big black dog came out of the shadows to meet it. It mewed softly and the rat that was behind the dog squeaked. The dog made a subtle bow with his head and the three animals disappeared onto the grounds in the night.

Once far from the castle, the cat grew quickly into a black haired girl. A tall black haired boy stood across from her and a cowardly bucktoothed sandy-blonde haired boy stood behind him. Tempest didn't like Pettigrew, but he followed the Marauders everywhere, enjoying their protection and popularity. Sirius Black grinned mischievously and gave the girl a giant bear hug. She grinned and pushed him back as two other boys approached.

"Remus, James!" She exclaimed cheerfully, hugging both in turn. These three were some of her greatest friends, but as a Slytherin, she couldn't talk to them during the day. They were great at night, but in sunlight they never stopped tormenting Severus – another best friend. The three of them grinned at her and all sat quickly in a circle at the border of the forbidden forest.

Sirius spoke first. "So… what's new?" All of them took turns asking the traditional questions like that since none of them liked such obvious things.

"I have a boyfriend." She stated bluntly. The four boys' eyebrows rose almost to their hair.

"Who?" James asked quickly. "Please say it's not Snivellus."

"It's Severus, and no, it's not. Lucius." Sirius made a choking noise that Tempest ignored. James congratulated her half-heartedly. Only Remus Lupin seemed interested.

"How did that come about? I would've guessed Caine again."

"No… I don't want to wreck that friendship again." She smiled softly. "He asked me during breakfast. You guys know that I've had a crush on him since I dumped Caine last year."

James Potter sighed. "I had really hoped that you would have gained some sense and gone with a Ravenclaw." She grimaced.

"None of them are exciting enough!"

James laughed. Peter laughed too after a minute, copying the other boy. "Isn't that a fact? Anyway, how much longer till… you know."

"Next year." She whispered quietly. "We swear to it on Christmas Eve."

Remus flinched visibly. The mischief left James's eyes. Sirius looked away. Pettigrew swallowed loudly. After a minute, mischief re-entered James's brown eyes. "Well you and Lucius had better get busy then, huh?"

Tempest gaped at him. "How… YOU!" She smacked his shoulder and he grinned.

"Sorry, sorry!" He begged, ducking her relentless swings. "Hey, I said sorry! Sheesh!" She sighed and stopped trying to hurt him.

Sirius looked into her eyes. "So what's your plan?"

"I have to agree to it unless I want to die." She whispered. Remus looked down, eyes looking as though they were doomed in the half moon's light. "But that's exactly what I plan on doing." Sirius's eyes widened and James stared at her, no sign of laughter left in his eyes. Remus only gazed at her steadily. He understood what it was like to feel doomed to something and want it changed badly enough to die for it. He had known since he was six.

In the library late the next day, Tempest, Lily and Remus watched Sirius and James scribbled in one of the books in the library, snickering. A potions book, just to show their appreciation for the subject.

"They're such kids." Remus muttered to her. Pettigrew jumped up and down behind the other two, trying to get his turn to draw on the book. The girls laughed.

"It always feels good to not have to be cold to hold your place." She murmured. Remus smiled.

"I don't think I could manage it like you do, you know... being in Slytherin. I think I'd go mad." Lily's voice was quiet, but strong and gentle.

She laughed. "I think you've gone mad anyway." Sirius tossed her the book and she looked at it, laughing out loud when she saw what it said.

_'Polyjuice Potion- (Perfect for making a girl want to make out with you if you pretend to be her boyfriend.)'_

Remus smiled. "You guys know how many people have tried that?"

Tempest grinned and Lily covered his mouth before he could tell them about the history of such a strange topic. James and Sirius laughed.


	4. Chapter 3

Standard disclaimers apply. All recognizable names and places are the property of JK Rowling.

Chapter Three

After another year, the seventh years were getting ready to go home for Christmas – not too enthusiastically. While the younger years celebrated the approach of a favorite holiday all over the world, they thought only of the marks that would soon mar their forearms.

Tempest and Lucius were frantic although they'd never show it. They had been married over the summer and had just had a baby boy – not exactly expected, but most welcome. Draco Malfoy looked much like his father, except with his mother's piercing eyes. He was almost three weeks old and staying quite contentedly with his grandparents – Lucius' parents. The two visited nearly every night.

They had kept that a secret.

"Tempest, please. Just agree to be a Deatheater!" Lucius exclaimed in a hushed whisper. They may have been at the lake, but no one could tell when there were other listeners.

"No! I won't have my son have a Deatheater for a mother!" He glared at her, but her eyes told him that she wouldn't let him win this. "Lucius, if both of us are death eaters, how could we live with ourselves?"

"Love, you know very well that everyone is going to be a death eater in this generation." He rested pale hands on her shoulders and gazed levelly at her. After a minute, she looked away. Even she could be bested by Lucius when he was this intense.

"But what about Draco? Don't you think that could be a problem?" She leaned against the big oak and looked at the lake where a banshee had once risen and talked to her in a dream. Her husband's hand stroked the cheek where five nearly invisible scars still remained as proof.

"Sweet, that won't affect our son." He insisted.

"What if we get taken to Azkaban? Then what?"

He stared at her sadly and brought his lips down to hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung desperately to him as though she would never see him again. Too soon, it seemed, he separated his mouth from hers and sat down, with her next to him. After another moment, he used long fingers to turn her face to his. His eyes delved deep into hers. "We won't be." He told her determinedly. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes and he kissed them away before they could fall.

_Oh love… I could almost believe you when you say it like that…Almost._ Her mind whispered. All that her body did was lean into his chest and let her tears fall into his robes as his hand traveled her back and he buried his face in her hair.

And as the two sat there taking comfort in each other, the rain began to fall, reminding both of them of a very different occasion from long ago.

"Lucius... I won't become a Deatheater… I'd rather die." She whispered. He didn't hear her. She hadn't wanted him to.

The Malfoy Manor wasn't normally a warm place, nor a place that was comforting. Not even for people who had lived there for their whole lives. It was the perfect place for a Deatheater meeting.

That would be taken advantage of on December twenty-fifth of 1980. The Lord Malfoy was a monster in his own right, his pragmatism and self-preservation standing out over any other character trait, and to all appearances enjoyed hosting the terrible meetings. He didn't, but what the Dark Lord said, was done. Playing host to these meetings had been his punishment for his hesitation to join the group.

At the time though, he was happy with the simplicity of watching his son and his wife play with his grandchild.

"Draco…" Tempest whispered softly, kissing him on the forehead. Lucius's arms were wrapped around her waist and his chin rested on her shoulder. Both watched their son, cradled in his mother's arms. The baby gurgled happily; piercing silver eyes content to suck on his thumb in his mother's careful embrace. The dusting of white-blonde hair, so like his father's, shone in the sunlight that came through the window.

Lucius hand raised itself to rub his son's soft head gently. "He's a cute little thing, isn't he?" He asked in a hushed voice. Tempest smiled lovingly at the 'cute little thing' and stroked his cheek, humming quietly to herself. The soft melody made Draco yawn happily and close his eyes, quickly falling into a pleasant dream. His mother laughed quietly and settled him under blankets in his crib.

She turned to face her father-in-law. "You've taken really good care of him, Dad." She said with a grin. "Thanks."

He smiled gently at her. "You're welcome. I'd never turn down taking care of my grandson, though."

Lucius smirked and led the way out of the room and into the room that he and his wife shared. Both of them sat in silence on the couch.

"Tonight." Lucius murmured softly. Tempest's eyes darkened.

"Yes."

With a grim smile, Lucius rolled up her left sleeve and kissed the underside of her wrist. She smiled sadly and leaned against his shoulder as his lips traveled up her arm to her neck and then her face. Each place that they touched briefly felt like a small star, pleasantly warm, but still the things that made up the entire universe. Then, his lips fell on hers and all that existed was them, their hearts, their bodies touching. Her eyes closed and she deepened the kiss, mouth opening to breathe before returning to the blissful contact. Nothing else remained, just them.

"I can't breathe…" She murmured as they separated.

Lucius just stared into her eyes longingly. "Then don't." His lips returned to hers.

_Oh…_ Her mind whispered giddily. _I can't do this… Lucius, you aren't being fair and you know it! _Her hands linked behind his neck and pulled his face even closer, forcing his lips even closer to hers, if that was possible. His hands wrapped around her slim form, tangling themselves into her raven black hair.

After too short a time, she pushed Lucius away. "Stop." She whispered and laid her head on his chest.

"You won't reconsider, love?"

"No." She felt him swallow and his fingers touched her chin softly. Tempest let them turn her gaze to his face – his beautiful face that she could never ever see enough of – and his eyes bore into hers.

"Then I refuse." And his mouth fell on hers again.

Silk sheets rubbed against her bare arms. Her eyes opened to find Lucius lying next to her in their bed, her head resting on his chest. She sighed and snuggled closer to him. She must have fallen asleep and Lucius had moved her. She looked up at his closed eyes and serene face, so free from worry when he was asleep. Sighing, she checked the clock on the wall. 6:30. It would only be another half an hour until Deatheaters started arriving in the darkness. She frowned and kissed Lucius cheek before standing up. He stirred.

"What time…?" He asked lazily.

"Six thirty."

He cursed softly and stood up as well. Tempest looked at him sadly, his bare chest showing muscle that you couldn't normally see through his clothes. She looked away quickly as she felt tears burning at the corners of her eyes. Lucius understood immediately and crossed the room in three strides to wrap her in a strong embrace. She bit her lip to keep silent but couldn't stop her shoulders shaking.

She felt a water droplet land on her hair and looked up. Lucius was crying too. She raised an elegant hand to his face and cupped his cheek.

"Love, what will they think, a grown man like yourself crying?" But both of them knew that she didn't care that he was crying. He didn't answer, instead tightening his hold on her. She only cried harder and buried her face in his chest. Her hands linked behind his back and tangled in his beautiful white hair. After a few minutes, she looked up at him again, tears streaming down cheeks which Lucius immediately kissed, his tears mingling with her own. "Oh, Lucius… I can't do this! I can't just… die…" She whispered.

Then there were three soft taps on the door. "Yes?" Lucius asked, stepping away from her and ushering her into a different room and putting on a bathrobe before opening the door.

Severus looked him over with a smirk. "You might just want to hurry so that she can say goodbye before they arrive." He commented softly. Lucius smiled.

"Alright." He closed the door and relayed Snape's message to his wife. She called out that she was almost ready and five minutes later, she was out and dressed in long black robes. Her hair was a mess.

Lucius raised an eyebrow to the offending feature and she looked in the mirror to start blushing furiously. While she tore a brush through her hair, Lucius went into the other room to change as well.

"Draco…" Her soft voice, so quiet and beautiful was like a gentle ray of sunlight in the darkened room. Draco's silvery eyes opened immediately. His mother stood above him, eyes soft and sad. Although not very old at all, he could sense something wrong.

His father looked down at him as well, his fair pale hair tied back elegantly in a queue with a black silk ribbon. His mother smiled tensely at her husband and reached down to wrap her gentle arms around her son.

"Oh Draconis…" she whispered, resting her forehead lightly against his as she used his full name for the first time since his birth. A salty water droplet landed only an inch from his lips. "Be a good boy for your daddy… okay? Don't be a brat, be obedient but willful. Be strong and live like I would want you to, alright?"

Draco didn't understand the implications, but even at only a few months, he could sense that he needed to wiggle his head. He did so. Tempest choked on a sob and hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek before placing him back in his crib. His father wrapped a loving arm around her middle and laid a comforting hand on his son's cheek. "I'll be back soon."

His mother only wiped away her tears, her face becoming a flawless mask of impassivity. As both of them disappeared out of the door to the nursery, he heard a whispered farewell. Without really knowing why, the same salty liquid that had landed on him began to leak out of his eyes. There was something that was going to happen to his mother… and it wasn't good.

"Do you swear to do your lord's bidding at all times, as soon as he asks it?" Severus Snape's father recited monotonously. Tempest Lestrange Malfoy could feel the loathing fill her chest, but nodded from where she kneeled on the ground and kissed Voldemort's robes again. Cold fingers descended to her cheek and forced her to look up at the creature that had been a man named Riddle.  
"Then take the mark on your arm." The creature whispered in its high-pitched voice. She stared at him for a minute and then smirked defiantly and stood up.  
"No."  
The gathering in the main hall of Malfoy Manor fell utterly silent. A wailing could be heard from where newborn Draco Malfoy was sleeping, cared for by his grandmother.  
The Dark Lord looked amused. She could hear the swish of his robes as he stood up and took out his wand.

"Crucio." He whispered terrifyingly.  
The pain filled every muscle in her body, trying to make her scream. She just needed to scream and it wouldn't hurt as badly. No. She wouldn't give that disgusting man that much satisfaction even.  
Lucius watched from where he stood, getting used to the pain that was coming from the new Dark Mark on his wrist, holding to his promise not to interfere. It was damn hard though. He could sense through their bond only a ghost of what she was experiencing. His foot moved forward slightly, to try to stop her torment, then Draco's cry reached his ears. No... their son needed one of his real parents.  
The torture only got worse. She wouldn't scream, even as she was forced through the Cruciatus. The pain from the Dark Lord's spell and the spells which joined it from other wands only growing.  
After what seemed like an eternity, Voldemort stopped the spell. She crumpled to the ground, breathing heavily to keep from whimpering. He raised his wand again, ready to say the curse that would end her life with as much pain as possible, when Lucius stepped forward. Snape stared at him, but he didn't pay attention. "My Lord..." He began. The man turned to look at him. "She won't be as pained by physical injury as she would by the thought of the Dark Mark on her wrist." He managed to say it coldly, though it was a close victory.  
Voldemort looked mildly interested. "Very well then..." He hissed. His snake slithered forward and bit the girl's wrist. Finally, she screamed. Lucius could feel tears burning at the corners of his eyes, but didn't step forward again. She might live through this. Another Cruciatus, and she'd be dead. Her scream echoed throughout the whole manor and most of the surrounding land.  
After ten minutes, she crumpled into a pitiful corpse on the cold stones. Voldemort and the Deatheaters left quickly, finished with the night's business.  
As soon as all of them were gone, he and Snape ran to his wife's side. "Oh, love..." Lucius whispered, picking her up gently in his arms. She whimpered and cringed. Being careful with her fragile form, he carried her up the stairs and to their bedroom, laying her on the bed and covering her with the sheets...

The pain was terrible. She tried carefully to move her arm, to show them that she was okay, but she couldn't. Slowly, her eyes opened. Through the agony she could just barely see Severus and Lucius standing above her. Lucius was crying again. Severus looked upset. He was holding a goblet half-full of bright emerald liquid. Another goblet on the table gleamed menacingly in the candlelight. It was full of a bright red liquid. What were they for? She tried to dredge up what had happened, but all that came was pain... pain and a high-pitched laughter.

Lucius took the green liquid from the other man and placed his hand behind her head, raising the goblet to her lips. "Drink." He commanded quietly, apologetically.

"What-" She managed, but Lucius poured it down her throat when her mouth opened. She swallowed, a sense of foreboding filling her every vein. "I'm sorry love." He whispered as the two men grew blurry. Her pupils dilated and she fell into an empty darkness. She was just barely conscious of lips being pressed to hers, with tears falling onto her cheeks. Then a burning liquid entered her mouth and a cold hand forced her to swallow it...

THE END

A/N: Okay, well that's all folks! Please, please please tell me what you think! And there is a sequel, I'm just not done with it yet.


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